Lessons Learned
by civis caeli
Summary: An AU redo of S01E05 and onward. Sasil fluff. (Sally Ann/Hasil)
1. Chapter 1

Hasil could see her moving inside the store from where he was standing. He had to look around periodically to make sure the law wasn't on his tail, sure, but it had been worth it for the chance to see her again. He caught up to her as she exited, ending her work for the night.

"Hey!" he called.

"What do you want?" she asked, her tone derisive despite her, internally, being surprised to see him again after the events that had transpired last time. He could tell she was still miffed about his run in with a cop and subsequent jailing, but he was determined to win her over, whatever the cost. He sighed, catching up to her steps.

"Well, I ah… wanted to apologize about our… date. Got in a little bit of trouble there. You mad?"

"It's not the first time I've been stood up," she answered, apathetic. "Won't be the last."

Hasil's mind searched for a proper response but he only managed a confused, "I'm not sure what that means, but…"

Sally Ann stopped him. "Don't worry about it. Gotta get home."

"You ain't..." he started. "You ain't gonna let me apologize? Got me a good one worked out. Had a long time to think about it."

"Could you just leave me alone?"

"Why would I do that?" Hasil chuckled. He knew it was a dangerous thing to do, but he couldn't help it. Leaving Sally Ann alone was, by far, the most absurd thing he'd heard in all his years. And considering the majority of that time had been spent on the mountain, that was saying something.

"It's not going to work, Hasil. We're too different."

"What you mean? Come on, we're both people! I'm mean, sure, you're a woman, I'm a man, but that sorta helps the situation, don't it?"

"'cept I live in the real world. And you live up there." The words cut into him in a way he could have only compared to the pain he'd felt upon losing two of his fingers not long ago. He didn't enjoy being reminded of that pain, and it was steadily increasing as she continued, pointing out their differences and all the reasons why they could never be together. The thought made his stomach sour. "I'm Black and you are _weird_. Just go away."

"Well look…" he tried. "Can I at least give you this?"

She turned and came forward, looking closer at his hands. "What is it?"

"Well, I made you a present 'cuz to be honest with you, I kinda knew my apology wasn't gonna be that good…" He waited for her, but she seemed hesitant, much to his dismay. "Come on, please?"

She relented, beckoning for it and coming forward to take the gift. Looking at her hands move to unwrap it, the anxiety began, making his own fingers twitch. "Be careful with it, it might…" he nervously voiced, hands moving to mimic hers. He worried about the more delicate parts of it, wanting it to be perfect for her… but she was already being careful, so he stopped, not wanting to ruin the big reveal. Hasil cleared his throat, becoming silent.

He could only gasp silently when she smiled and breathed approval at the sight of the bear. "It's a bear," he offered. "You know, bears… they're strong. They're fierce. Just like my caring for you."

"It's beautiful," she whispered, making Hasil's eyes move from hers, to her lips, and up, being caught by the apples of her cheeks. How he loved the way they made him melt and his heartbeat patter against his chest.

"Well, I'm glad you like it, because it took me…" the sound of car tires distracted him and he looked up, recognizing the familiar lights and shape coming toward them. He inched around the tree to hide from view, eyes watching the car cruise past as he finished. "…took me a lonnnng time to… make."

"What's wrong?" Sally Ann asked.

"Nothing."

But Sally Ann had followed Hasil's line of sight and, looking between Hasil and the car, immediately put the two together, remembering his recent experience at the receiving end of a tazering. "You're in trouble with the law?"

Hasil scoffed, giving her a sheepish look. "Well, to be honest with ya, I'm not really 'sposedtah… be down here.

Sally Ann mulled over his words, her fingers absently picking at the bark of the tree they hid behind. "…because of your people or mine?"

Chuckling darkly, Hasil released an equally sheepish, "…Both."

Holding the bear tightly, she thought for a moment, considering the danger he'd put himself in. It was one thing to break the law – everyone on the ground knew the mountain folk held no care for the law or its enforcement. But to defy his family just to see her? The gravity of that sacrifice filled her with butterflies and a surge of empathy that pushed her forward and into him. Gently, her lips found his, expressing a feeling of thanks she'd found no words adequate enough to describe.

Moving away, she looked up at him, coming quickly to her conclusion.

"I know a place that we can go."

* * *

It had gotten darker by the time they'd made it to the quiet little house Sally Ann had grown to find comfort in the sight of. She imagined he was used to this by now – being in the middle of nowhere and surrounded on all sides by vegetation. She was surprised when he touched her, stopping her in her tracks.

"Wait… who lives here?" he asked, peering up towards the darkened windows.

"A lady from my church," she said, thinking, _Ah… situational awareness. Must come in handy living the life that they do._ She couldn't help but appreciate his care and consideration. "It's okay… she's dead now."

"Okay…." She could tell the thought weirded him out a bit, so upon lifting the window to enter and beginning to light candles throughout the house, she explained. "She passed a couple of months ago. I come here to read sometimes. Other times, I draw or even play the piano. I like how quiet it is. Simple."

"Simple?" Hasil laughed quietly, not wanting to disturb the house's pleasant silence. He held his hand over the small warmth coming from one of the candles. "You call this simple?" If this was simple, he could only wonder what she'd consider his own home to be.

"I do!" Sally Ann softly responded with a giggle, before moving through a door and going deeper into the house to finish with the candles. Leaving the last one on a nearby desk, she returned to the main room to find Hasil undressing. She leaned to the side, resting against the door, before resting her knuckles against her lips demurely. She had to fight the desire to cover her eyes if only to stop her from staring and watching the light filter through the window and illuminate every rise and fall along the length of his body against the dim, candlelit room. The sight made her mouth dry.

"What… are you doing?" she asked, voice small.

Hasil gave an impish smile, looking her way. "What does it look like I'm doing? Co'mere," he motioned.

She spoke her words carefully as she moved closer, her hands finding the waistband of his clothes. Her fingers curved over his gently, ceasing their motion. She looked up at him, amused, "It looks like you've… got your clothes off."

"Not quite…" he teased, and she could feel his hands begin to tug down his underwear.

Sally Ann rose on her toes and kissed his cheek before shaking her head. "Not going to happen tonight, Hasil," she whispered. His face fell and he looked away, worried that he'd done something wrong. _Had she not liked what she'd seen?_ he wondered. Reading the conflict on his face, she continued, elaborating to soften the blow. "Hasil, it's not you. For one, I just don't do that. And two, I have to get going soon."

A look of surprise replaced the sadness. "Don't do that? Ya mean… Ever?

"Well," she answered, "never have, at least. Really want to, though, but I'm not married."

"Is that what your people do here? Only if married?"

"'course not. Few see a reason to wait, actually." Sally Ann looked down, growing quiet. "But I do."

Hasil tilted his head, curious now. "Why?"

"Because…" Sally Ann pursed her lips, thinking of how best to respond. "You know how you gave me that bear today?" She continued at Hasil's small nod, "Well, there's only one of those, right? Only one bear that you made, and only one that you've made for me?"

He nodded again, looking over at the bear on the table. Seeing it made him smile. He'd been working on it since the night they met at the store, making sure every detail was correct. He'd never spent that much time on anything for anyone but his parents, and he certainly hadn't created anything for an outsider before.

Sally Ann's voice called him back to her. "The fact that there's only one in the whole wide world… that makes it special. That's how I feel about being intimate. Having… sex. I can only do it for the first time once and I want it to be special. I want the person I'm with to know I saved my first time for them."

Hasil looked down, swallowing. On the mountain, they had rules for marriage and even monogamy, but not for sex, itself. And although, to him and his people, it was a strange thing to hold oneself back from a pleasure they wanted, he understood the aversion, having never felt comfortable enough with anyone on the mountain to do much past a kiss or two here. It never felt right. No one had ever caught his eye the way Sally Ann had and most women in the clan, tired of being the more forceful of the two, had grown weary of his inactivity and left him be as quickly as they'd started pursuing him.

Maybe he and Sally Ann weren't so different, he thought. Both outsiders within their own respective homes. "I think I get whatcha mean. You're different, Sally Ann. I like that."

Sally Ann's hand found his cheek and she smiled, grateful for his understanding. She kissed him softly, before responding. "I like you, Hasil. I'm sorry I have to go so soon."

Hasil leaned forward, his forehead finding her's as his eyes closed. "Mm, 't's okay. Can I see you again, though?" He felt her nose press against his, her breath soft against his lips.

"I have Bible study after work tomorrow... down the road at the local church? But after that, I'm free. I'll meet you here tomorrow if you want."

Hasil couldn't stop his cheeks from cresting into happy grin. He hadn't thought he'd be able to see her again so soon. "Sure…. Sure, that'd do me just fine." He moved closer to her, and kissed her nose slowly, happy to finally have her comfortable enough with him to allow it. He shivered at the smile she gave in response, feeling as if he'd float away were it not for her holding his hand.

"See you tomorrow, Hasil." He watched her leave.

And it was in that moment that knew those words would signify the beginning of the rest of his life.

* * *

 **A/N:** Undoing some subliminals. Sasil's really grown on me and I adore this coupling. :) Will add to this as needed, so it may be just one-shots or a larger AU story. We'll see. Depends on feedback.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the canon characters. Everything pre-owned belongs to its owner(s). No copyright infringement intended.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** This was a little random, but fun and a bit nostalgic **.** Thank you so much for your reviews! To those who described future chapters – we're in sync on them. I already had a few things planned in line for what you asked for and appreciate your sharing your desired prompts. :)

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the canon characters. Everything pre-owned belongs to its owner(s). No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

Hasil could hear Sally Ann long before he could see her. Her steps were slow and careful and light, as if unsure of the terrain. Their caution reminded him of a deer's gentle movements and sounded much like the soft, breeze-like noise they'd make when disturbing the plants and grass. Hasil had spent many an early morning watching them travel through the forest from his tree top perch, knowing they were most active to graze at dawn and dusk each day.

He looked down at his hands to the piece of slightly carved wood within them. Smooth curves were already making themselves present on it, resembling a head and neck, and although he knew he'd have to put in quite a few more hours to make it look like he wanted, he could already visualize the final result.

He hid the item, then, putting it back into his bag before rising to greet Sally Ann. "Wh'hello, miss lady."

"Fancy meetin' _you_ here," drawled Sally Ann with a smile, her own bag in tow. She finished making her way up the hill and slid her thumbs into her back pockets when she stopped, looking up at the house. "Been out here long?"

"Nah… and even if'ah was, I wouldn't tell ya."

"I'll remember to expect nothin' less." Sally Ann shot him a teasing look, reaching for his hand. She took out a key this time, sliding it in the lock of the door and turning the knob. Hasil looked at the action curiously.

"If'ya had a key, why'd we go through the window last night?"

"I'd left it at home. Hadn't intended to come by here yesterday." She raised her bag as she spoke. "But I'm prepared today and brought food. Hopefully it's somethin' you like. I'll have to ask you what you guys eat later, and what you like."

"And _I_ , you. Got somethin' special in mind fo'ya one'ah these days."

Sally Ann glanced at Hasil with a smile, her eyes narrowing. "What're you hatchin' up in that head of yours?"

"Oh, nothin' much." Hasil looked around, whistling his "obvious" innocence. "Honest! I do know my way 'round a'good fire... but that'sa tale for another time." The look on his face was mischievous now, letting on that he was not about to divulge any of his secret plans anytime soon.

Amused, Sally Ann shook her head, giving in with a laugh. "Well fine, then. Suit yourself. But come on... I got somethin' to show ya."

Hasil followed her into the house, closing the door and lowering his bag to the ground gently, beneath a nearby table. Sally Ann continued in, placing her bag onto a side table against the wall. Rustling through it, she beckoned him with finger, turning around and holding her hands behind her back. He gave her an inquiring look before moving forward.

"I know it's not much, but… I wanted to getcha somethin' to help with our meeting here, since it didn't look like you already had one. I checked around first... from the feedback, it sounds like it'll hold up to life on the mountain. Water won't hurt it and it has a button to make it glow in the dark and everything."

"Y'didn't hafta do that fer me, Sally Ann…"

"I know, but… I wanted to," she replied, nervously biting her lip before revealing her gift. She hoped he'd like it.

It was in a small brown box, which she opened for him, exposing the round circle of a watch. Hasil was speechless and could only allow his jaw to drop as he looked from her face to her hands, coming closer. She gave it to him and he held it as if he were examining the world's most precious gem. "I... well, I know about you guys and readin', but what about numbers?"

"Krake has one'ah these," he said slowly, touching the face of the watch with a light tapping, in sync with the tempo of the moving second hand. "Taught me all 'bout the numbers and how they work."

Sally Ann was in awe of _his_ awe, and the way he stood, fascinated by the ticking clock. She watched his finger on the clock face, before looking up. "Krake?"

"Yeah…" he nodded, still watching the clock tick. "I help him make th'local brew. He calls'it a tam… " Hasil paused, trying to remember. "Eh… tahm-piece, ah think. Never really understood why though. I just call'ita time-keeper." His hands moved the watch around, his finger gliding against the raised words imprinted along the box. His eyebrows furrowed together and he looked up, offering a view of the words to Sally Ann. Looking at them, she obliged, reading them aloud for him.

"Expansion. Band. Watch" Hasil repeated appreciatively, only to do so again softly, before a grin began to spread across his face. His voice was soft, and a bit higher than usual as he found himself having to hold down waves of emotion he didn't really know how to express. "Thank ya kindly, Sally Ann. I ain't never had one'ah those. A… watch, before. Don't think anyone 'sides Krake has one either, 'least that I done seen."

Her voice had frozen in her throat at the sight of his face, coupled with the sound of his voice. She'd known that sense of distress well, having felt the same, she thought, that first time they'd met; even as she worked to restore order among the customers, her mind had been elsewhere, conflicted between wanting to stay in this world or escape through the doors with him that night, entering into his.

She was biting her lip again, butterflies wiggling, and stretching their wings within the core of her soul. They fluttered around, threatening to stretch her from the inside out until her heart had made adequate room for the man in front of her. Her voice took its time to emerge.

"Well, I… I realized I hadn't given you a time to meet for today… but, then I didn't know what time's like on the mountain, so I was sorta worried that you'd be waiting here for me all day."

"…so'that's why you asked?"

Sally Ann nodded. "I imagine it takes a while to come down the mountain. Didn't want you doing all that justa have to waste time waiting for me."

Hasil shook his head, reaching for her hand. "ts'never been'a waste for me, Sally Ann. Never will."

"Even so," she said, giving a nonchalant shrug. Pretending ambivalence, she turned to her bag again and pulling out food in sandwich bags. "Maybe… it'll come in handy. So at least you'll know when I get off work. …or go on lunch… or... break."

His response sounded incredulous: "You want me t' _stalk_ you."

Sally Ann turned her head to face him, surprised. "Ya mean you _weren't_ doin' that before?"

"Heavens no!" Hasil replied, laughing. He moved closer to her from behind, pressing his fingers against her waist. He nuzzled against her shoulder, ignoring the _"That was a token of my love"_ that had bubbled up into his thoughts to replace it with a soft, "that's jus' what we call courtin' up on the mountain."

His nose found the space behind her earlobe, the hair on his face tickling her. She shivered, giggling at the feeling before gasping softly at the feel of his lips on her ear. "Aren't you hungry, though?"

"Mmm," he murmured against her. "There'll be time enough f'that later."

* * *

"Why me, Hasil?" Sally Anne asked that evening, her fingers in his hair.

Night had started to fall, bringing an end to kisses until the candles had been lit again. They'd sat on the sofa after, talking about the new watch's features and foods the other liked, before looking through the meal Sally Ann had packed. Things ended with Sally Ann sitting on one side of the couch with Hasil on his back, his head resting in her lap.

His warm voice reached out to her in the darkness. "Whatchu mean, little lady?"

The corner of her lips rose. "Why'dya pick me? Of all people? Of... all women imaginable? Why me?"

He moved now, peering into her brown eyes before whispering. "You saw me."

"Well of course, I did..." she said, confused. "Everybody did... sorta hard to do anything else _but_ see you when you're driving into the store on ATVs."

Hasil pursed his lip in thought. "But... you _really_ saw me. As a'person. Usually, folk down here, just... glare at us, c'tempuously, like we aren't really human. Never really look _at_ us as much as through or against us... like wantin' to push us past th'city line an' off the very face of th'earth."

"You guys need your own star," Sally Ann offered. "One far, far away and just for you."

Hasil's eyes narrowed as he suppressed a laugh and sent a look of feigned suspicion her way, sharp as dull daggers. "Betch'your people would like that, wouldn't they?"

"Mmmhmmm," Sally Ann hummed with a giggle. She loved the way he phrased things. The way he could make his voice change and how he could express so much with little more than small sounds - high pitches, low tones and few words. Even over such a small amount of time, she'd quickly grown accustomed to his sense of humor and he, to hers. She wondered if he could imagine how empty she'd be without him; imagine how glad she was that he was here, in this tiniest of towns, and had found her, out of all the people in the world.

So, she had seen him. And so, it seemed, he had seen her. She could relate, as not many in that town paid attention to her either. Since graduating and starting her job, she'd been the cashier, spoken to but not seen. So invisible, she'd wondered if she were truly real, herself.

It hit her, how curious life was, to have the same one feeling be present in two of the most different people one could think up. Perhaps they were both in the process of becoming real, and the more time they spent in each other's presence, the more visible they'd become. The thought of that made her smile and lean down to whisper, "You're a real boy, Pinocchio."

"Pinno-..." he mouthed, nearly silent. Now it was his turn to be confused.

"Pinocchio," she kissed, lips traveling from his, down his chin, before moving away slightly. "Well known children's story down here," she explained. "About a man, who made a wooden puppet doll, attached to strings an'all..." her hands moved, imitated the hands one would imagine seeing done by a marionettist. Against the backdrop of lit candles, Hasil could see the shadow of her hands, making dark creatures on the ceiling. "To make it move its arms and legs."

Hasil nodded, gazing up at her as she spoke. He'd never heard of a marionettist before, but knew what a wooden doll was. A puppet, too. He'd made his share of simple ones for the children back home, and could remember the times they'd put on shows for the adults, but he'd never considered adding strings to them. He made note to remember to ask Sally Ann if she'd show him an example.

"The man who made the doll was awfully lonely, so he wished that it'd become a real boy. Which happened, but not at all the way he thought it would."

"One wish did that?"

Sally Ann gave a nod. "One wish, and a blue fairy came and granted it. But he was still a wooden boy, by then. Just didn't need strings, is all." Hasil wrinkled his nose now, which made her quiet down and wait for him.

"Well, what's one need with'a boy 'still likeleh to give splinters when ya hug 'im?" he asked. "Sounds like that fairy wasn't worth a hill a'beans, if ya ask me."

A soft giggle escaped Sally Ann, and she pressed her fingers to her lips, in thought, remembering the story. "Well, he became a flesh and blood boy eventually. Just took a lil while. Lots of mistakes along the way, including almost turnin' into a donkey..."

"Your kind have some mighty odd stories down here, Sally Ann..." Hasil teased, rising to sit against the couch's arm.

"Hey... simmer down, you." She tapped his arm lightly, playfully regaining his attention. "It's the moral that counts. Besides, he saves his dad, the puppet maker, from a whale," Sally Ann said, spying him out the corner of her eyes coyly. "And because he was so brave..."

"mm _hm,_ " Hasil encouraged, sliding closer to her until his lips were against her neck. It wasn't long before Sally Ann's eyelids began to dip.

"...the fairy... made him a real, live boy," she whispered.

"Well, mah mistake," he breathed, pulling her to straddle him and kissing the hollow of her throat now. She could feel the vibration of his voice tumble down the paths of her skin. "Cuz, that _is_ a true t'life story then, as I ain't never felt like anythin' real 'fore you laid those doe eyes on me, either. Moment ya did that, ya had m'hooked, easy as a fish in'a barrel."

Sally Ann moved until her arms were between his and his torso, her hands sliding until they came up backwards, fingers cupping his shoulders. She held herself to him, lifting her chin to make room. "That fast, huh?"

"Yes'm. An' I'd hav'it no other way."

"Ever wish things were different though? That you could change things, or... that maybe you'd grown up down here?"

Hasil shook his head. "Ain't gotta wish for that. Ah'got all ah could ever want right here, right now."

"You sure?" She was falling now. Head over heels and back again, and she never, ever wanted it to end.

He kissed a soft, reassuring "shhh" into her lips, before sealing her fate.

"Positive, Sally Ann. 'Cuz change or not, I'm certain it'd've all still led me right here, back t'you."


	3. Chapter 3

A week had passed before they'd seen each other in that little house again. Despite the way he'd found time beginning to lose form and run together, Hasil began to maintain a schedule, making sure to see Sally Ann at least once each day. It was usually during her lunch break, when he'd steal off from his kin and sneak behind the building to sit with her on the edge of the tall cement slab near the door where deliveries were made.

Legs swinging, Sally Ann found she felt like a child again, made giddy by the fact that she had made her first best friend, and yet enamored with the intimately secret knowledge that they were so much more.

Hasil came to live for these moments as well, listening for the squeak of the back door that made him look up, waiting for her with bated breath. Sometimes she'd share her lunch with him, and sometimes he'd bring his own to share (although there was no shortage of occasion for which both would go uneaten).

But each time, they'd sit and they'd talk about nothing... or everything, and all that was in between, trying hard to fit so much into so little time but most often finding that less is more and that fewer words and ignored lunches could make way for more caresses and plentiful kisses.

Sometimes, she'd run to him and wrap her arms around his neck, covering his face with the soft pressing of her lips until he'd laugh and lift her, spinning her around. He'd sit, placing her across his lap and she'd hug against him as he asked about her day.

She'd talk, or listen to him do so, her ear against his chest to feel the vibrations of his voice rumble out to meet her; and they'd stay that way until both of their alarms would ring. She'd find his lips with her own then, tasting away her hunger pangs until the ringing would stop, and she'd rush back through the door with her fingers, last to enter the store, waving goodbye until the building swallowed her up whole.

Hasil would sit there, dizzy beneath the weight of her love until his snooze alarm disturbed him from his sweet slumber and he hopped from the slab to begin his trek back up Shay Mountain.

Neither could come close to remembering a happier time in their lives.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for the lack of update. Wrote this a few days ago, but IRL stuff came up which is preventing my extending it, and prevented my posting it when I wanted, but I hope it turned out okay. For those interested, look out for a new and separate oneshot to be uploaded sometime this weekend. It looks like it might be pretty long so it'll take a few days. And for those who have reviewed, many thank yous for the kind words! :)

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the canon characters. Everything pre-owned belongs to its owner(s). No copyright infringement intended.**


	4. Chapter 4

When Saturday morning arrived, Hasil found himself in Blackburg again, but, by the look of the time on his watch, he'd made it down Shay Mountain in record time. The trip usually took a full three hours or so to tackle, but now that Hasil had grown used to doing it daily, the time needed to complete his travel had decreased dramatically.

It helped that he knew the location of all of the mountain's traps and secret passageways, the knowledge of which seemed to come naturally to those who'd grown up there. All the Farrells eventually came to know how to effectively navigate the terrain for their various purposes, anyway, with Hasil's participation including hunting and, in his own time, scouting out the wood he used for his carvings. Nevertheless, he wasn't blind to the fact that the biggest difference between his past and current experiences was the newly found presence of one very special Blackburg townsperson in his life, and the accompanying sound of her voice on the wind, guiding his steps down the path and back into town.

It was that very voice that called out to him now, coming through the receiver of a pay phone Hasil had finally learned the ins and outs of using. Sally Ann promised to spend her entire weekend with him, and, after a conversation about her cell phone, she invited him to try calling her to let her know when he'd made it to town, so using the money he'd received from Butch, he'd tapped in the number she'd given him, which she said connected him straight to her cell phone. He'd quickly agreed, enticed by the thought of being able to reach her so easily. Today, therefore, was his first time successfully using the contraption, but there were no words capable of describing the glee he felt when she said her first "Hello."

"Hello? Sally Ann, can ya hear me?" Hasil asked, shaking the phone before bringing it to his ear.

"I can!" Sally Ann answered with a giggle. "Can _you_ hear _me_?"

"Clear as a bell over here. How ya doin'?"

"Much better, now that I've heard from you," came Sally Ann's warm answer. "How was the trip down, today?"

"Even faster than before. Reckon you have a part t'play in that."

"Lil' ol' me? Nahh."

"Lil ol' you, yes. My girl makes everythin' in life that much better."

"Keep that up and you might as well move down here."

"Dare me to and I will, Sally Ann," Hasil answered with a smile. It was a crazy idea, he knew, but in that moment, both his heart and his mind were in agreement, and he nothing less than serious.

"I may just take you up on that one day, Hasil," she whispered, leaving a pleasantly heavy silence between the two.

It lasted for a mere moment, but that was all the two needed to feel that pause grow with the tremble of expectation. For Hasil, the pleasure hit him with the same slow delicacy that the sound of rainfall did on the rare but surprising mornings that he'd awaken to the sound of drops hitting the roof of his house on the mountain. Sally Ann's pleasure came from a familiar feeling associated with a thought she could just barely remember – the scent of the first bloom of her favorite flower, carried on a gentle wind as it finally opened below her window, beneath the rising of a spring sun, and the satisfying feeling of simply existing and staying present within the happiness of that moment.

Feeling his skin warm, Hasil broke the pause with a soft, "I need to see you, Sally Ann."

"You know where to go," she answered.

"Things good with your brother, though?"

"Yeah, it's alright. Told 'im I'll be at Naomi's… which I am, right now. Spent the night over here."

"She know 'bout us?"

"She does, and gave us her blessing" Sally Ann chuckled, making Hasil smile again. "I'll take you to meet her sometime."

"Later though?" murmured Hasil, his eyes closing as he pressed his ear against the phone and into the musical sound of her laugh.

"Mmhm," she hummed, the corner of her lips rising. She could recognize that voice… it was the same breathless tone he'd give her between the kisses they'd share for lunch, when, in Hasil's mind, actual food had been scratched off the menu. "I'll see you there."

* * *

It took a very long time for Hasil to budge when he first saw Sally Ann that day.

Coming through the trees, he was surprised to find she'd arrived at house before him. She was facing the opposite direction when he found her, and was looking around, unsure what direction he'd show up from. When she finally caught sight of him, she waved him over happily, needing to do so, she realized, just to get him to move.

Once mobile, his jaw dropped slowly, eyes widening as he walked toward her.

What caught him off guard was the very same thing he'd been fascinated with the night they met: her hair was a crest around her head, like a crown... like a halo. But at the time, Hasil didn't know the term, so the most he could do was try to think of the words needed to describe the effect her hair had - the way the sun cascaded through the tips of it, highlighting shades of brown in a way he'd never seen before. The colors made her eyes shimmer with even more depth and dimension, the brightness of her irises emphasized by their presence against the backdrop of her skin and hair.

And her lips...

Hasil bit his own lip then, his breath held hostage in his throat. He had never seen her look like that before, and he was thoroughly taken by it. Enamored. In awe. And to be honest, Hasil had a hard time deciding whether or not she had some from some other world, and landed on this rock of a planet - visiting it and choosing to stay, just to be with him.

He was grateful for a whole weekend by which to thank her.

But for now, the most Hasil could manage to consciously do was stand and blink. He began to hope that the small movements made with his mouth would produce sounds and words, but he wasn't certain about the eventual presence of either. Amused, Sally Ann stared at him, giving him ample time to speak until three words finally emerged:

"Ohh, Sally Ann..." he breathed.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking him over to make sure he was okay.

"Sally Ann... there's..." his hands began to move, reminding her of the time they'd first met, when he'd gestured, trying to find the words to describe her hair. "It's like, ah... like, the circles you can see 'round the sun or the moon, some days. A bright circle of light... sorta looks like a rainbow sometimes, but other times it's just... gold, and light, and pure."

Perplexed, Sally Ann's head tilted. "Circles of light? …Ya mean halos?"

"That's it? A "halo"?" Hasil said, smiling, and she nodded in confirmation. "That's it then. Y- ...ya got one of those… a halo! It's… it's beautiful. Took m'breath away an' everythin'! "How'dja... howindaworld'ja get your hair to _do_ that?"

Sally Ann could only giggle at this, making Hasil grin and watch her with wonder. He loved the way the light and all of nature's elements moved against and around her, almost as if her very presence was enough to manipulate everything and make it brighter and better. As if she and they were connected together, and the forest was nourished and revived the moment she arrived. He felt like he could watch her forever.

"Ya'gotta get it to do that more often. Y'look like an angel... halo and evry'thang," Hasil finished, pointing to one of the statues in the yard, which, just happened to be a winged angel, topped with its own halo. Sunlight was now shining through it, as well.

"I don't hafta do anything. It comes out m'head that way, Hasil." She grinned, taking a breath to quiet her laugh and regain her composure, "This is what my hair looks like when it's not braided like I usually keep it. If I put a little heat on it, it'll straighten, a little like yours is." Sally Ann's fingers motioned slightly, moving in circles, "but on it's own, I have curly hair. Like lil' corkscrews."

"Whatcha mean?" Hasil asked. His eyebrows were furrowed together now. From this distance, he could see waves, easily identifiable towards the ends of her hair, but he couldn't get a clear view of the curls she spoke of.

Wiggling her nose at him, she smiled. "Mm, tons of circular curls. Lemme show you."

Sally Anne opened the door to the house, letting Hasil in, and each put down their belongings before she moved to a nearby mirror, looking at her reflection. Hasil followed, gazing over her shoulder as she reached up, gliding a hand through her hair gently in back, and turned around, moving to a lit window to bring forth a coil of a strand to show him.

He looked down, his eyes close to her fingertip, until they spied a tiny spiral, dark and bold. It reminded him of one of the tools Krake let him use to open up the wine reserved for special occasions, when they didn't want to worry about wasting any from spillover. Likewise, on Sally Ann's finger was a corkscrew, yes, but infinitesimally smaller in scale. He gasped, looking up to find her watching him, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.

"'Ain't never seen nothin' like that before. Girls up tha mountain, they have their hair an'all, diffren' colors an'everythin', but they all look jus' like my'own. They got straight an' sorta like waves sometimes, but t'ain't none like this." Hasil looked down again, before carefully touching her fingertip with his, transferring the curl to his own and peering closer.

He breathed his awestruck words to her, "You've the tiniest, most perfect curls in th'whole wide world, Sally Ann..."

"Oh Hasil," Sally Ann said, grinning as she tried fruitlessly to mitigate the heat of a blush rising to her cheeks. "Th'whole world? Neither one of us have traveled far enough t'know that. If this is th'only time you've seen hair like this, what if you see curls ya like better elsewhere? You'd hafta see more."

"No need," he smiled back. "'member whatcha told me? Can't ever take back th'first time, an' nothin' after'll ever compare."

Moving as if in slow motion, the world around them fell away while Sally Ann watched as Hasil moved his hands, gently pressing her curls into her palm, before rolling her fingers into a fist and kissing her knuckles. His hands rose to her face then, making her eyes close. Although Sally Ann wondered if he planned to touch her hair at first, she found the reality to be far different. Instead, she felt him barely touch her at all, the faint graze of his fingertips making her shiver as they moved, lightly tracing her hairline along the border of her forehead and down past her temple, before cupping her face. He pressed a kiss to her lips, as soft as the movements of his hands had been.

"Now you're already m'one an' only, Sally Ann, And 'slong as I'm around, 'f someone so much as touches, not'tamention harms even tha'smallest curl on yer head, they're gonna hafta answer to me 'bout it, cuz aint' noone hurtin' my Angel," he whispered against them, before kissing again. And he meant it, with every fiber of his being. She was his and he, hers, and he'd never let anyone do anything to come between the two of them.

Sally Ann spoke, whimpering his name against his lips, as her arm rose to slip around his neck and hold him close. She could feel his arms find their home around her waist, pulling her to her toes in the process. Her heart warmed as she rose, only to fall deeper in love with him.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd ever felt this special, wanted, safe or protected.  
And couldn't imagine, from this day forward, ever going a day without those feelings again.

* * *

 **A/N:** Inspiration – the glorious crown of hair we got to see from Sally Ann this past episode. :)  
I think this came out okay. It's …really late, though, so I'll do another edit on it.

To those who have reviewed, faved, followed, and just stopped by to read, thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your encouragement, and especially your patience with my updating this! Spent most of the time away from this story working on "The Settling of Scores" (TSoS). I'll be briefly mentioning events from Ch.1 of TSoS within later chapters of this story, so if you want to be caught up or are just into suspense, please feel free to check that out. I hope you enjoyed!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the canon characters. Everything pre-owned belongs to its owner(s). No copyright infringement intended.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Brought somethin' for breakfast for ya. Had a part in makin' everythin', too," Hasil said, leading Sally Ann through the house. When they arrived to the kitchen, he unpacked until half of the table in the center of the room was covered with an assortment of items from his bag. All were wrapped tightly until Hasil's hands began to unravel their bindings.

He gave the first of the items to Sally Ann, who held it up to a nearby window, looking at it closely. Within the jar of golden elixir was a cone-shaped chunk of honeycomb.

"Honey from my honey?" Sally Ann asked, giving him a soft kiss in thanks.

"Best believe it," Hasil nodded, his grin ear to ear. His spirits had already been high that morning, but now he felt as if they could reach the ceiling, made buoyant by the fact that Sally Ann had given him her first pet name. It inspired him to come up with his own for her, which he kept secret, hiding it inside of his heart for a special moment. Turning, he gave her another item.

"An' bread, an' butter… an' jam, too, 'long with a couple other things. We got our own bees, up the mountain," he said, tapping the top of the honey jar in Sally Ann's hand. "Grow our own grains an' whatnot, for bread, as ya know, an got fruits and stuff now. Wanted t'bring ya some of the new ones we got sproutin."

"Butter, too?" Sally Ann asked, bringing a knife from a nearby drawer and coming around to sit at the table. She began to cut the bread into slices as she spoke. "If you guys don't use money, how do ya get that? Or did you manage to get cows somewhere up there, too?"

"Nah, no cows. Make most of our stuff on our own, but we get the occasional thing from the farm nearby. Milk's one of 'em."

"Is it here in Blackburg?"

Sitting down next to Sally Ann at the table, and making room for their food, Hasil shook his head in the negative. "Wrong side of th'mountain. We get t'Blackburg by goin' in the other direction."

"You don't say..." Sally Ann answered curiously. "You guys have allies over there?"

"In that town? Naw, it's just th'one family. One of ours married into 'em, an' only a handful of us talk to 'em anyhow, cuz the majority of my kin don't think too highly of deserters."

"Deserters? It's not like they went very far," said Sally Ann, chuckling.

Hasil responded with a shrug. "Far enough, I guess. Though, 'tween you an' me, some of m'folk seem t'look fer somethin' to hate on. Always itchin' t'make an enemy. Just happens t'be kin sometimes."

"Do you like livin' up there?" Sally Ann asked, frowning. She rose, bringing the slices to the toaster on the counter and slid them in, turning to lean against the cabinets as she waited for them to brown. "I mean… I know that's your family an' all, but… would you ever do that? Or did ya ever just wanna go somewhere else for a while? Travel… see the world?"

"Dunno. Never really gave it much thought. Some of us talk 'bout it sometimes, 'mongst ourselves. But the elders've always said life down here ain't no good."

Hasil stopped, looking over at the sound of the toaster popping, the pieces of bread showing themselves again beside Sally Ann. They, of course, didn't have one of those on the mountain, so the entire activity startled Hasil slightly, from the first disappearance of the bread to the ding of the timer that indicated they were finished toasting.

Watching her actions, he stayed quiet, thinking about everything they'd gone through until that moment in time. The fact that he was there, in an actual house, in town, and _not_ on the mountain, made him pause. _Did_ he like living up there? Was this preferable?

When Sally Ann returned to sit at the table, and she placed the toasted bread in front of him, he smiled, feeling his heart answer with a "yes" and when Sally Ann spoke, he felt his spirit confirm his heart's sentiment.

"Well, I don't know what much to say 'bout down here, but I _do_ know that there must be some good up there on that mountain, and that you're proof enough of that," she said with a smile, her hand reaching over to give his a pleasant squeeze. "But enough of that for now. Toasted, not toasted? … Or both, your choice."

She handed him silverware and added her butter and jam to one slice, with honey to the other. Hasil did similar, changing the combinations to his liking. During their meal, she pointed to more of the items on the table, asking about how they were made and about life on the mountain. Hasil explained everything between bites, unpacking more of what he'd brought to show her, as time passed.

* * *

When the sun began lowering in the sky, Hasil's lips were moving up against Sally Ann's belly button. Laughing at the tickle of his moustache, she lifted the book she was reading to him, gazing beneath to shoot him a look and shake her head. "Trying to concentrate here!" she pretended to scold with a low growl.

"Sorry," Hasil replied, pulling the edge of her shirt back where he'd found it, and giving her puppy dog eyes long enough for her to lower her book and begin reading again. She closed her eyes when she felt whiskers against her again, and this time, simply bit the corner of her bottom lip in silence. Lowering the open book to her chest, she let the corner of her mouth rise to a smile, and stifled the giggles brought forth by the continued tickling. Hasil's eyes rose to find her smile, and he welcomed the chance to press onward, inching slowly higher.

He didn't get very far, however, before her stomach growled.

"Oh, hush up, you," he laughed, directing his words to her stomach. "Cantcha see I'm busy here?"

"A girl's gotta eat, Hasil," she said, making him groan and look up. Sally Ann was sitting bed, her back against pillows, with Hasil facing her, his arm across the width of her hips as he leaned on his left elbow. The position had allowed him to rest his head against her stomach while she'd, at his request, read one of her favorite books to him.

"About four now," he said, looking at his watch and back at her.

"And my body's always had perfect timing," she teased, sticking her tongue out at him. Leaning forward, he left the soft peck of a kiss against the tip, making her scrunch up her nose.

"Perfect for interruptin' stuff," Hasil said with a pout.

"My reading, you mean?" Sally Ann asked, an eyebrow rising.

"'Course. We were just gettin' to the good part, weren't we?" was his innocent response.

"Food _is_ the good part, Hasil," a smirking Sally Ann said. "…or _will_ be."

Getting out of bed, she held out a hand for him, which he took, following her out of the room. Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he walked her into the kitchen, his chin on her shoulder.

"What we got in mind?" he asked.

At the question, Sally Ann looked around at the piles of food she'd left on the kitchen counter. After breakfast, she'd found her mind brimming with meal ideas so, with Hasil's help, she'd combined his food with what she'd brought with her, categorizing them by possible meals for the rest of the weekend.

Despite having learned most of what she knew about cooking from her brother, for the past few years, she'd become the resident chef at home, cooking dinner on the days she got off early from work. Nevertheless, she discovered she came to look forward to the structure of cooking every night, having come to enjoy the relaxation that came with the activity. It was during that silence that she often came up with her best ideas. She hoped Hasil would enjoy the latest one.

"It's a secret," she answered, and turned her head to press her cheek against his.

"Can I help?"

"Not if ya wanna be surprised. Though, if you're feelin' up to it, think you could find some flowers to put on the table?"

"On it, m'lady," Hasil said, coming around to kiss Sally Ann's hand with flourish. Lifting it, she smiled and brought him close for a parting kiss before watching him dash from the door.

* * *

Hasil spent an hour trekking through the parcels of land surrounding the house. From what he could tell, there was at least five acres, if not more, with an assortment of flowers he could choose from. He chose the prettiest ones of each bunch, fueled at times by the color of Sally Ann's eyes, the color of her jewelry, or the current shade of her nails.

Going over the events from the day, Hasil lost himself in his thoughts as he walked, remembering the way the way she'd wiggled her toes at him earlier that day, making him ask where the color on her fingernails had come from:

 _Reaching for a tiny bottle from her purse, she'd handed it to him, calling it "fingernail polish." But "polish" meant something else on the mountain, in Hasil's case, being associated with the treatment he'd carryout on the stones or wood he'd used for his carvings. And, as with their hair, the womenfolk there didn't usually bother doing much of anything at all with their nails._

 _Prompted by the look of confusion on his face, Sally Ann demonstrated how the bottle's top was removed and how she re-applied the polish to one of her fingernails. Watching her from a distance, Hasil found the smooth nailbed of her toes, tracing the fullness of each with his fingers._

 _"Do ya put that on ya toes, too?" he'd asked._

 _"Sometimes. Mainly when wearin' shoes that'll show my toes, though. Why?"_

 _"They look lonely," Hasil said, smiling. Cupping his hands forward, he caught the polish when Sally Ann tossed the bottle over. "Can I make 'em match your fingers?"_

 _Surprised, Sally Ann nodded with a grin, saying, "Sure, if ya want to."_

 _Kissing against her knee, he'd found his way to her toes and they shifted positions until he was able to finish all ten toes. The labor was a painstaking one that Hasil purposely made harder than it needed to be, but everything, he felt, had to be perfect, just as she was. So each toe was done slowly, Hasil handling the act as if he was a child who'd be gifted with his first coloring book and was determined to show how well he could keep within the lines._

 _When he was done, he blew on them softly as she'd shown him, making sure they didn't smudge and only looked up when he heard the sound of her laugh._

 _"No need to make it perfect, Hasil. I'm not Mona Lisa."_

 _"Good, cuz I don't know no Monas," Hasil smiled, turning to breathe against her toes again._

 _Laughing, Sally Ann took a moment to find an image of the painting on her phone. Leaning over, she showed him. "Famous painting made a long time ago. Now they have it protected in a place called the Lourve Museum. It's worth a lotta money."_

 _"Dunno why. Don't look so special t'me."_

 _"Seems to be 'bout age, rarity and technique, though. It took a long time for them to paint those. Sometimes years. But there's a lot of artwork like that around in galleries and museums," Sally Ann responded, scrolling through a few more pictures. She showed him the portrait of a woman. "Like this one. Was made by someone named Picasso. Lots of shapes, compared to the other. But each piece of art's got somethin' that makes it special."_

 _"That one expensive, too?"  
_

 _"Very."_

 _"Strange thing, that," Hasil said, becoming silent and pensive._ _ _He could understand a liking for the colors but couldn't understand the appeal, preferring the other image she'd shown him instead.__ And, of course, _ _he thought,__ the masterpiece in front of him, to that _ _._ "Your smile's prettier than hers, ya know."_

 _"Whose?"_

 _"The second picture, 'specially," he answered with a laugh. "But I mean the first one. Mona."_

 _"Not pretty enough t'be worth almost 800 million dollars," Sally Ann said, grinning. "Or worth taking years to paint."_

 _"Years ain't no thing. I got lots of 'em t'spare."_

 _"You gonna paint me, Hasil?"_

 _"Maybe."_

 _"Do you guys paint stuff like that where you live?" Sally Ann asked, genuinely curious about the direction the conversation was taking._

 _"Nah. Not long an' and involved like all that. Just gotta flair fo' tattooin', as ya can see," Hasil responded with a wink, looking down at the dark markings covering his arms. "Which only takes a few minutes or hours at a time. But I'm happy t'make an exception an' learn to fer ya."_

 _"Ain't gotta do that for me, Hasil."_

 _"I know. But when I'm done, it'll be priceless. Only one of its kind. Just like you," Hasil smiled, coming closer until the two were little more than kisses and warm fingers._

 _By the time they surfaced for air, neither cared whether or not the polish had smudged._

Blood warm from his memories, this time, however, Hasil was coming up for air alone, coming back to the present to find himself surrounded by trees and in a clearing. The smooth, reflective surface of a swimming hole was ahead of him, audibly capped with the soft trickle of a rock-lined waterfall against the far edge. Looking back through the clearing, he could see the house a little ways away in the distance, and made note of his beginning the walk back.

* * *

Closer to home, Hasil could both smell and hear the little house before fully arriving. The scent on the air caused his stomach to grumble and made him thankful all over again for Sally Ann's talents. But, bouquet of flowers in hand, he couldn't help looking around and wondering where the sounds were coming from.

Coming up to the right side of the house, he stood next to the swing he'd discovered on his way out. Just above the swing's seating area was a window, which was now open, allowing the sounds of running water and moving dishes to be heard. The unfamiliar voice, now accompanied by faint music, came from the same area.

Walking around to the front door, he came in, moving closer to the kitchen. From here, the music behind the voice was louder as it sang, and he could now begin to decipher the lyrics being expressed. He dipped his head into the room, peeking around.

Following the volume, Hasil found said music coming from Sally Ann's phone, situated on a nearby window sill opposite him. She bobbed her head, moving her hands as she moved around the kitchen, a bounce in her step. Lip-synching the lyrics, at some points, her actions were so dramatic, that it seemed like she was performing for an audience. Leaning against the side of the doorway, Hasil watched her, mesmerized by her as she continued to face the kitchen counter, her back to him.

He bit his lip with a smile when he heard her voice emerge, singing along, the sound of her reminding him of home and, most specifically, the tinkling of the wind chimes he'd made and put at the door of his house up the mountain. Listening further to the lyrics, he immediately felt the desire to laugh follow.

 _Can't you see I want you by the way I push you away?  
Yeah, don't judge me tomorrow by the way I'm acting today_

Amused, he crossed his arms and leaned against the edge of the door. So _that_ was it, he thought, continuing to listen, to find that when the music rose in volume, so did Sally Ann's voice. She'd stopped moving now, her hands against the counter as she sang, her voice full of emotion.

 _When everything I do  
Is only to get tangled up in you._

Hasil had never been one for doing much dancing, even during the parties his family would hold. Then again, unless you caught them at the right time, none of the Farrell, or the Shay, or even the Mcgintuk subgroups of the clan were really big on it, preferring sparring or the expressions of desire to dancing as an entire group. But even in smaller groups or individually, more often than not, Hasil had been more of the observer than anything, always on the outside looking in. And with his upbringing making him feel as if he were the culmination of many members of his kin within one whole, it felt natural to him to live vicariously through his relatives' actions, observing their public displays of affection - the way the menfolk would clap each other on the back at the end of their roughhousing or the way some of the elders would dance around the fire, holding hands with the youngest of the family.

But this was a little different, now. This time, Hasil had to fight to stop himself from joining in on the dance, and becoming one with Sally Ann in the midst of her revelry. As reserved as Sally Ann had always been during their earlier meetings, they only just now becoming more comfortable with and around each other, so he'd never seen her dance or sing and wasn't quite sure how she felt about doing either in the presence of others.

He'd made a habit of observing her and gauging her reactions, wanting to come to know everything possible about her in an effort to please and be the best he could for her. Yet at times, even now, he felt as if he had to move slowly, and tread carefully so as not to startle her and make her run from him. As if some parts of her were still held back behind a wall she was reluctant to bring down. Hasil knew the feeling all too well himself, so he gave her space and time, but during some moments, he still felt as if the two were in a forest, and he were simply the noisy, reckless bird whom, at any moment, could snap a twig and disturb the glorious sight before him, making the loveliness of her doe-eyes leave his life forever.

So, not wanting to startle her, Hasil gave her back her privacy and begrudgingly retreated back to the main area of the house, dividing up his bouquet. Inspired by the scent some of them released, he'd brought back enough flowers to fill more than one vase, having seen a few throughout the house earlier.

"Sally Ann?" he called, when the music finished.

"In here!" she answered from the kitchen.

The segmented groups of flowers between his fingers, he came in, holding them up with a smile. "Hope it's okay I gotcha more than enough. Liked the smell of 'em an' thought we could put 'em in other places of the house, too."

"Aww, Hasil, thank you! That's a lovely idea," Sally Ann said, cheerfully taking one of the bunches. "Can you get the other vases for me, please?"

Hasil obliged, returning with four attached to his fingers. Sitting each on the counter near the sink, he watched Sally Ann cut and arrange the flowers, putting them in their vases, and when finished, she turned, rising to her toes to kiss his nose.

"All set," she announced, placing one vase in the center of the kitchen table. Handing two to Hasil, she took the last and beckoned him ahead. "You get to choose where the others go."

Thinking of where the two would likely spend the most of their time that weekend, Hasil chose the main sitting area, bedroom, and, intrigued by the light coming in through the window there, the bathroom counter. "Whatcha think?" he asked, finally, turning to her again in the kitchen.

"I love them. And the colors! You've sucha good eye…"

"I had the great inspiration," he answered, his finger lovingly grazing a short way down her jaw and making Sally Ann smile again with a blush. She turned to the sink, finishing the last of the pots she was washing.

"Is that so?"

"Mmmhm," answered Hasil, moving up to hug her from behind again. He adored the action, encouraged to do so by the way he could feel his heartbeat meet with and match her own, both of their hearts then becoming mere inches away from each other. The strength of that connection made him close his eyes, and he continued, releasing a soft murmur into her shoulder. "And to answer your question, no. Good to know, tho. I'll keep it in mind for later."

Tilting her head, confusion crossed Sally Ann's features. "Hmm? Whatcha mean?"

"The song," Hasil said, eyes looking to her phone and back again. He continued with a sheepish smile, "Hadn't the slightest idea that you were turnin' me down fer dates _because_ ya liked me so much."

"Oh…" she answered, looking up as she thought back to the last song she'd listened to before he'd arrived. She could see their reflections in the window above the sink. Hasil could, too, and peering at their image in the nearly transparent surface, he locked eyes with her, making a blush spread beneath her skin as her eyes widened. Lost in her world of music, she hadn't known he'd been listening, and had assumed he'd been out, still looking for flowers at the time.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean no harm in it. An' I didn't wanna bother ya, but I didn't mean to intrude on your privacy, either."

"Oh no, it's okay," Sally Ann said, shaking her head. "I'm honestly sorrier for your ears than anythin'."

"Nonsense. Yer voice is as pretty as you are," Hasil said, and kissed her cheek. The growing warmth of her skin made him whimper and wrap his arms around her waist. Moving closer until his cheek was against hers, he closed his eyes again. "'sides, I liked th'part near th'end, cuz you _are_ the girl sweepin' me off my feet," he whispered. Moving away, he let his lips travel from her shoulder to her neck, and picked her up in his arms. "'Bout time I repaid the favor, eh?"

With a small yelp, Sally Ann's arms moved to hold onto his neck. Pretending to be annoyed, she called out to him with a sigh, looking to make sure that though the oven being on, she'd turned off the eyes on the stove, "But… the food, Hasil… why must you always forget about the food?"

"Cuz you're much, much tastier, woman."

The statement caught Sally Ann so off guard that she was all together speechless, overwhelmed with laughter. "Not hardly…" she sputtered out between chuckles as Hasil carried her out to the couch.

"Betcha I could live th'rest of my life off your love alone."

Making good on his word, Hasil tested his theory, and was rather successful until the oven's timer sounded.

* * *

Giving in, Hasil eventually released Sally Ann that night, allowing her to get their meal out of the oven. By the time she had everything on plates, Hasil had candles lit in the living room, with two on either side of the flower vase and others strategically placed. Seeing his handiwork, Sally Ann smiled at the change in plans and turned off the light in the kitchen.

They ate on the floor for dinner, sitting with their backs against the foot of the couch. All around them were candles, flames creating dancing, shadowy figures along the walls.

"Whatcha call this, Sally Ann?" Hasil asked between chews, after a soft _mmm_ of pleasure. "...Besides tastier than th'right end of a squirrel?"

"Cottage... like another name for a house? ...Pie," Sally Ann said, still giggling at Hasil's phrasing. She pointed around, indicating reference to the house in general. "Well, better known as Shepherd's Pie, too. Mainly used the yummy veggies ya brought to make it. You like it?"

"An' then some," he said, his nod appreciative. "Best thing I've had on the mountain _and_ off it. But… who or what'sa shepherd?"

"Not a name in this case. A job. They take care of sheep."

"That sounds like the pie's for _them_ , though," he said, looking over. "Does that make me a shepherd, too?"

"Notta sheep in sight," she said with a laugh. "But we also use the word to just mean leadin' someone or somethin' somewhere, too…. So… maybe," she continued thoughtfully, with a small shrug.

"Hmm," mulled Hasil, thinking over the term. "Well, speakin' of such, ya ever traveled round these parts. On the land?"

"Not really. Mainly stuck to the parts nearest the house. Why?"

"Found a pretty spot that I think you'll like. 'bout five minutes away, an' I bet it's pretty at night." Looking through the window, Hasil could already see moonlight outside. Sally Ann's eyes followed his toward the window.

"Wanna go?" she whispered, looking over with a smile.

"Thought you'd never ask," Hasil answered happily.

"I got the dishes, then and you get the candles," she said, reaching for his plate. She took them in the kitchen and put them in the sink, finding her keys and returning to a dark room now lit only by the moon. Hands out, she reached for Hasil. He caught her in the darkness and held her close, his lips finding hers with the ease of two magnets sliding together.

"Ready?" came his words, breath warm against her lips.

"Ready," Sally Ann said, her fingers entwining with his. Once outside, she handed him the keys, moving forward a little ways, through the grass, and toward the area he'd pointed out for her.

As she made her way toward the trees, the sight of her held Hasil in place, breathlessly grounding him within thoughts revisiting what he'd told her about his relative who lived down the mountain. He thought of the dangers of leaving his family and the response that would come with it. And of what it was like to be together, having a meal in a house it felt like the most natural thing in the world to share with her. Maybe… just maybe, it was she that was the shepherd of the two, leading him to a freedom he hadn't known he'd wanted until he'd had his first taste of it.

He could feel it shift and grow inside of him – some euphorically thick and immovable feeling of finality… a mixture of surprise and relief from the settling of options, the making of decisions, the picking of choices, that he couldn't adequately put into words and wouldn't be able to budge or remove, even if he tried… though, if nothing else, he knew full well, that he didn't now, nor would he ever, want to.

The words he'd once said to Asa, somehow already so sure of their truth at the time, echoed through his head then:

 _They always told me the world down there was no good.  
They'd gone and they'd lost everything that makes life worth living, but me and you? We know that ain't all true."_

Sally Ann turned and softly called for him in the stillness of the night, then, her hand, as she'd done earlier, reaching out to him like a lifeline.  
Breathing again, he moved and caught her hand in his, meeting the bright glow of her eyes with his own, and felt he finally understood what it was that made his cousins risk it all to leave.

 _"Would you ever do that?"_ she'd asked him that morning.

And shivering against the night air, he knew now, that when it came to Sally Ann, the answer was again, yes.  
For her, he'd risk it all, and with the same surety he'd had when speaking those words to Asa, he knew, in the end, it'd all be worth it.

* * *

Song lyric credit: Skye Sweetnam, "Tangled Up in Me"  
A/N: ...because I loved the Sasil food scene last episode, lol. This is a continuation of day no. 1 of their weekend.  
Thank you for the reviews and, again, your patience! You guys are always so kind :)  
 **Disclaimer: I don't own the canon characters. Everything pre-owned belongs to its owner(s). No copyright infringement intended.**


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